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Plans Announced for Indian Mounds Drive Corridor, Shaped by Community Input
Sharing Study Recommendations for Safety, Recreation and Stewardship
GRAND RAPIDS, MI. (Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026) — The Kent County Parks Department and local partners have announced findings from a feasibility study outlining a plan to make Indian Mounds Drive safer, better maintained and more welcoming for the thousands of people who visit the riverfront corridor each year. Work could begin as early as next spring.
The plan establishes a more coordinated approach to managing Indian Mounds Drive, a shared recreation lane running parallel to the Grand River and I-96 from Grand Rapids to Grandville. The plan lays the groundwork for the corridor’s future as a signature recreational destination along the Grand River Greenway, an emerging network of public parks, trails and natural areas linking West Michigan communities to the Grand River – from Lowell to the Lakeshore.
The study findings and recommendations – unveiled during a public open house Wednesday evening – are the initial part of a phased plan that addresses immediate safety concerns while preserving the corridor’s natural character and recreational opportunities. The plan’s most significant action is restricting non-emergency vehicle access on Indian Mounds Drive, a top priority identified through community input.
The plan is the next step in a yearlong planning and design process that engaged more than 2,000 community members, stakeholders and leaders. Priorities identified through community input include improved safety, consistent maintenance, environmental restoration, better trail connections and protecting cultural significance.
“Community input has been essential in helping us understand what people value about Indian Mounds Drive and what they want to see for its future,” said Ben Swayze, director of Kent County Parks Department. “This plan gives us an opportunity to put community priorities into action, improve how the corridor is cared for and make it a safer, more enjoyable place for people to connect with the river.”
More than 70% of survey respondents supported converting Indian Mounds Drive to a nonmotorized greenway trail, and 87% expressed a desire to maintain the area’s natural, quiet, wilderness-like feel.
“The plan prioritizes a safer, more predictable outdoor experience for people enjoying the corridor by limiting vehicle through-traffic,” Swayze said. “It also creates an opportunity to better protect the riverbank and surrounding landscape from the damage associated with off-road vehicle use.”
Key elements of the plan include:
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Safer recreation – Restricting public vehicle through-traffic while maintaining access for emergency responders, maintenance crews, adjacent property owners and Indigenous people visiting the Grand River Burial Mounds, as well as other authorized stewards of the site. This will reduce conflicts between vehicles and people walking, running and biking while helping discourage prohibited vehicle activity.
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More consistent maintenance – Establishing a coordinated operations and management strategy to improve routine monitoring, cleanliness, vegetation management and responses to maintenance concerns.
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A more welcoming trail experience – Adding basic wayfinding, mile markers and temporary signs explaining the pilot, its goals, site rules and the corridor’s broader vision, with additional visitor amenities considered as needed. Major deferred maintenance will be addressed.
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Greater attention to public safety – Increasing visible public safety presence, with particular attention to illegal vehicle activity, dumping, vandalism and other prohibited activity.
The plan also emphasizes the importance of respecting the area’s Indigenous cultural heritage. The Grand River Burial Mounds along Indian Mounds Drive are an ancient cemetery and sacred place for Indigenous ancestors. Cultural assets will continue to be stewarded by and accessible to local Tribes, and future trail improvements near the Mounds will be guided by authorized Tribal representatives.
“This plan is an important step toward connecting more people to the natural and cultural resources that make the Indian Mounds Drive corridor unique,” said Catherine Zietse, Grand River Greenway program manager at Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. “Input and collaboration from our community has resulted in a unified plan for more proactive and focused care of this important Greenway connection.”
Indian Mounds Drive is a critical link in the Greenway, connecting communities and trail systems across Grand Rapids, Wyoming and Grandville. The corridor also provides connections to Kent Trails, Millennium Park and other regional recreational destinations.
Beyond the plan, the feasibility study outlines a long-term vision for improving the trail corridor, enhancing connections to neighboring parks and trail networks, creating designated river access and nature trails, adding visitor amenities and restoring disturbed areas with native vegetation and other ecological improvements.
A pilot project would test a new management approach over two years beginning May 2027, with partners and stakeholders meeting regularly to evaluate progress, address challenges and prepare for future phases, including fundraising and grant opportunities.
The feasibility study recommends a coordinated management model with the Kent County Parks Department serving as the primary operator and local partners retaining ownership of their properties. Implementation requires further coordination on property rights, access agreements, funding responsibilities and a formal partnership agreement.
The planning and design process was led by the Kent County Parks Department, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. and Grand River Network, with support from the cities of Grand Rapids, Grandville and Wyoming, Kent County Road Commission, Grand Rapids Public Museum and Grand Valley Metro Council. Additional partners included Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians, Gun Lake Tribe, Michigan Department of Transportation, Viridis Design Group and Fishbeck.
For more information about the Indian Mounds Drive feasibility study and plan, visit kentcountymi.gov/IMD.
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